The Long and Winding Road
by AmateurPsychologist
Summary: One young man, competing in the Sinnoh League. He went through so much to get to the finals. This is his story, his rise to glory. Who knows? He might encounter love on the way... OCxCynthia  My 1st Fanfic so go easy READ & REVIEW!
1. Chapter 1

1 - Tension, strength and motivation

It was a tense moment for Peter as he sat in the Green Room at the Lily of the Valley Conference HQ. Never before had he been so nervous in his life. Not even the predicament concerning Team Galactic's 'New World' event caused him any worry. Hell, even the taming of Giratina, Dialga and Palkia (safely caught in normal Pokéballs and residing in a PC Box) didn't faze him too much. So why was he suddenly feeling so antsy?

Because this was the last battle of the Conference. Peter had gotten so far and encountered so much just to be here. He couldn't risk a loss here - not when he would get the chance to take on the Elite Four and the Champion of Sinnoh if he were to win.

He sat in a chair hunched forwards, his hands shaking ever so slightly if anyone was close enough to look. His russet brown eyes bore all the signs of someone who had seen so much for someone of his age. He started his journey full of life, energy and carefree abandon. Experiences with near death (nearly all of them occurring through Team Galactic's hand) had opened his eyes to the harsh realities of the world. And with his realisation faded the energy of childhood, his once shining brown eyes losing all but a spark of their former luster.

Peter heaved a large sigh and sat back in his chair with effort, running his fingers through his untidy jet black hair. He reflected back on his journey thus far, evaluating what went right and what he would liked to have changed.

**/FlashBack\**

As he stepped out of his home in Sandgem Town and made his way to Professor Rowan's Laboratory, he already knew which Pokémon he would choose as his starter - Chimchar. He couldn't resist the little Fire-Type's cheekiness and playful charm, so he instantly made up his mind on his first partner and quite possibly his newest friend.

He stepped through the door of the Lab and Rowan greeted Peter warmly even though it was in his usual gruff tones. But perhaps that just happened with age or perhaps maybe that just who Rowan was. Peter made his way over to the table and scanned the Pokéballs looking for the familiar flame symbol. And reaching out his hand, he made his choice - one that he didn't regret.

He threw the capsule into the air and in a burst of light, out popped the Pokémon partner that Peter had set his eyes on from the very start. The Chimp Pokémon, Chimchar. The little fire monkey scanned his surroundings before setting his innocent blue eyes on the human in front of him. And the Chimchar took an instant liking to the midnight haired Trainer.

"Ya know, I think I'd like to call you... FireStrike? How does that sound to you?" Asked Peter, crouching down to meet Chimchar's eye level.

The Chimchar looked away for a second before locking his gaze with that of his Trainer's. "...Chim Chimchar!" He said approvingly.

And that was when Peter and his newly dubbed FireStrike left Sandgem Town on an adventure they would never forget any time soon.

**/End Flashback\**

That all felt such a long time ago for the midnight haired Trainer. Since then, Peter had caught a lot of Pokémon - such a lot in fact that he managed to complete his Sinnoh Pokédex. That was quite a surprise for Professor Rowan! Peter couldn't help but chuckle slightly at the aged man's expression when Peter showed him the contents of his Pokédex. Peter even managed to catch the other Sinnoh Starters in the wild - a feat that previously would have been highly unlikely for any other Trainer before him.

Peter put all that down to pure luck though...

The sixteen year old sighed heavily once again and stood up, his destination being the mirror. He gazed upon himself and traced his eyes up and down his whole form. He had started his journey a little later than most Trainers did, mainly due to his overprotective mother. But nevertheless, he still got to go on his journey.

He looked upon his travelling attire and smiled, the corners of his mouth curving upwards ever so slightly. His black and dark grey striped hoodie and his dark jeans had been through a lot. As did his Pokémon and Peter himself. It was a wonder how they all survived - clothing included. He then fingered the material of his navy blue woollen scarf. He kept it as a memento of his late father and it always served to bring him good fortune in one way or another.

He then looked past his attire and looked at himself in general. He was well built physically - not perfect but certainly above average. He was short for his age, but that didn't matter to him. No-one ever held that against him, and those that did regretted doing so after a six-on-six battle from the midnight haired Trainer.

His gaze then turned to the belt around his waist. Adorning the simple belt were six small Pokéballs - the capsules of his first team. A small smile graced his face as he walked away from the mirror into another part of the Green Room. He took all the capsules off of his belt and tossed them into the air. Six flashes of light later and Peter's Pokémon were standing to attention for their Trainer.

"It's okay guys, I'm not a drill sergeant. You don't need to stand like that."

The six Pokémon all immediately relaxed their postures and took a friendlier approach to their Trainer, who smiled warmly in return. Peter then motioned for his partners to draw closer to him as he knelt down and took a deep breath.

"Listen, you guys have been amazing Pokémon. Not just to battle with, but just to be with as well. Tiger Lily, you were quite apprehensive of me at first when I caught you as a Budew. And I won't forget the time that you kept attacking me at first."

The Bouquet Pokémon lifted her arm to the back of her head and rubbed it sheepishly, blushing slightly as she did so. "Rose Roserade..."

"Nah, it's okay. Besides, if I hadn't persevered with you then I doubt we would be on such even terms with one another today. But I'm glad I did Tiger Lily. Otherwise I wouldn't have gotten to know one of the sweetest Grass-Type Pokémon I could ever have asked for."

Roserade, dubbed Tiger Lily, turned her head away from her Trainer, sporting a blush that would make a Tamato Berry pale in comparison. "Rose..."

Peter merely smiled at his Bouquet Pokémon and started to address the rest of his team. "Mina, I can't express how incredibly you perform in all that you do. Even when you were just a Feebas. I knew that when I caught you, you were unlike any other Water-type. And remember back in that oneshot Hearthome Contest? You were so brilliant in the face of adversity. You showed everyone that everything could be beautiful - Feebas included. And that was when you evolved for me. I couldn't possibly have been prouder that day."

Milotic, dubbed Mina, arched her head down and nuzzled her Trainer's face in appreciation. "Loooo..."

"Hahaha, thanks Mina." Peter patted the side of the Tender Pokémon's head. "Now Reactor, I remember when I first met you. When you were just an Elekid and were getting bullied by those Magby. I could see in your eyes your burning determination and strength just waiting to be unleashed. But something was holding you back - the discipline needed to control your power and that was something that we worked on together. I knew that you were a great Electric-Type back then, and you are a simply amazing one to behold now."

Electivire, dubbed Reactor, pulled his Trainer into a restrained hug so as not to accidentally crush him. "Vire Electivire..."

Peter patted his Thunderbolt Pokémon on the back in reassurance and turned to his Flying-Type. "Legend, when Cynthia gave me your Egg to look after, I was a little scared to be honest. I was unsure how I would perform in your upbringing and that made me anxious about how you would react to me when you hatched. But when I looked into the face of that little Togepi, I somehow knew that everything would be okay. And here you are today Legend. A great Flying-Type Pokémon if I ever did see one."

Togekiss, dubbed Legend, smiled at his Trainer's words and flapped his wings elegantly. "Togekiss! Kiss kiss Togekiss!"

"Don't get too vain! I know what you're like." Peter chided playfully. He then turned to a hulking navy blue behemoth standing to the side of Legend. "Kibble, drop the bad boy image. You may look impressive, but I know you're a big ol' softy really."

Kibble, who was in fact a Garchomp, huffed in indignance at his Trainer's words however true they may have been.

"Hehe, did I hit a nerve? Anyway Kibble, you are an amazingly strong Dragon-Type Pokémon even if you are more soft than your exterior shows. When we battled against Candice, I was unsure if we would even win. Her Abomasnow was tough and I knew you were on your last legs. But you evolved during that battle from a Gabite into the Garchomp you are now. And you became a force to be reckoned with. For that, I couldn't be happier with you."

Kibble turned to face Peter and narrowed his yellow eyes, the slitted irises thinning in a menacing way. Then, the Mach Pokémon softened his facial expression and licked his Trainer's face with his flat, slightly rough tongue.

"Ugh, Dragon slobber. Thanks anyway Kibble." The Garchomp gave a low growl in return; almost like a purr. "And now we come to you FireStrike. I had you since way back in Sandgem Town. From the moment I chose you as a Chimchar, I could feel the almost instant rapport between us. You've been with me through thick and thin and you've stuck by my side even in times when others would have given up. You never showed any signs of faltering, especially against Cyrus and Giratina." Peter put a hand on the Flame Pokémon's shoulder. "FireStrike, I cannot thank you enough for what you have done throughout the journey. You are the best damn Fire-Type I could ever hope to have encountered."

"Fernape Infernape!"

"Togekiss!

"Rose!"

"Graaar!"

"Loooooo!"

"Electivire!"

"Thanks guys."

Just as the group was about to make a final embrace, a voice rang out across hidden speakers in the Green Room.

"Would Peter Aureilius and Ryouji Takahashi please make their way to the Main Stadium. The Final match will begin in five minutes."

"Well guys, this is it. Good luck to you all out there. And everyone do your best - just like you always do."

Peter grabbed all the Pokéballs and returned his Pokémon inside them. He gave them all a silent word of encouragement before leaving the Green Room and making the long walk to the battlefield. This is where he could either make it or break it as a competitor in the Champion's League. He was sure he would make it; his Pokémon would see to that.


	2. Chapter 2

**Authors Notes**** - Well, this is the second chapter of The Long and Winding Road (I might shorten that into an acronym) and I must say that I was a little surprised at how well the first chapter did initially. I was apprehensive at first when I uploaded it and I didn't think that it would do all too good. Oh well, shows what I know...**

**I remember what I forgot to do when I first uploaded this Fic and that is the Disclaimer. Hehe... Oops... (^w^);**

**Disclaimer:**** AmateurPsychologist does not own Pokémon AT ALL. Seriously, that credit is reserved for Satoshi Tajiri, Game Freak, The Pokémon Company and Nintendo. Last time I checked, I wasn't in their employ (unfortunately).**

**Anyways, here's Chapter Two. I won't keep you from it any longer.**

2 - A Mental Debate

Meanwhile, in the Executive Box high up in the stadium, a certain Sinnoh Champion was thinking about a certain midnight haired Trainer. The blonde from Celestic Town had found that she had been doing so as of late and couldn't think of a logical and rational reason for why. She gripped her double scoop cone - it was mint and double chocolate - a little tighter and started to lick it. She stared out into the distance pensively and began to think of reasons why she would be thinking of the Trainer by the name of Aureilius.

It all started when Ms. Shirona decided to take temporary leave of her position and began to travel throughout Sinnoh again. She didn't have much time to just go out, explore and generally have fun what with the responsibilities of being a Champion. Besides, Cynthia wasn't really AWOL. She had taken leave of her post at the start of the League season so she wasn't missing out on much. She virtually had a whole year to travel Sinnoh and see the sights once again.

That was when she heard of a shady organisation by the name of Team Galactic. She had no idea as to what they were hoping to accomplish, but she thought it in her best interests to keep one eye on the events that unfold. She visited her home town of Celestic first, visiting her family and generally having a good time. When she thought it was a good time to move on, she travelled to Eterna City to pay her respects to the Deity Statues.

That was where she met the midnight haired Trainer by the name of Peter Aureilius. He had found time to pay his respects to the Deity Statues of Time and Space (in between enduring attacks by his Budew) and duly expressed his feelings for Team Galactic to them.

**/Flashback\**

Cynthia walked briskly to the location of the Deity Statues when she noticed a Trainer with midnight hair and russet eyes. He was getting attacked by a Budew, and Cynthia thought it within her duties to help this person out. After all, her was getting attacked by a wild Pokémon.

Or so she thought.

She ran towards the spectacle in an effort to calm the commotion, when the Trainer said something that surprised her quite a bit.

"Tiger Lily! Stop it! Come on, why are you doing this?"

"Tiger Lily?" Muttered Cynthia. "That Pokémon belongs to that Trainer?" She wanted to investigate further seeing as how this spectacle had now piqued her interest. She closed the gap between herself and the commotion when the Trainer pulled out a Pokéball and the Bud Pokémon was transferred inside.

"Phew. Why does Tiger Lily keep doing that? Does she not like me?" The Trainer ran his fingers through his hair and sighed defeatedly. "Maybe I'm not good enough as a Trainer..."

"Don't say that," Cynthia said quickly as she finally got within hearing distance of the young man.

"Wha..? Who are you?"

"My name is Cynthia Shirona..."

"Wait. Cynthia? THE Cynthia?"

"Yes..."

"WOW! The actual Champion of Sinnoh!" The Trainer's russet eyes were sparkling with admiration towards the blonde who started to giggle lightly at the young man's actions. "Er... Uh... *ahem* Sorry, I don't know what came over me..."

The Sinnoh Champion waved his apology away like it was nothing. "Don't worry about it. In fact, your reaction is one of the more controlled ones that I've gotten. Anyway, what's your name Trainer?"

"Peter. Peter Aureilius." He held out his hand which Cynthia gladly took.

"Well, it's nice to meet you Peter. I'll be sure to remember your name because you look like a Trainer with excellent promise." Cynthia said with a smile.

Peter's expression then took a turn for the worse. "I don't know. You must have seen how my Budew attacked me earlier, right? Just seeing her do that to me is enough to make me think that maybe I'm not cut out for this kinda thing..."

Cynthia held Peter's shoulders lightly and looked into his eyes, silver staring into russet. "Listen to me Peter. Just because a Pokémon acts one way now, it doesn't mean it'll keep acting the same way in the future. It all depends on how willing you are to try and bond with your Pokémon. You just need to persevere with your Budew and I'm sure that everything will turn out for the better eventually. So there's no reason to doubt yourself if you just keep at it."

Peter stared into Cynthia's eyes (well, the eye that wasn't covered by her hair) and smiled weakly. "If you think that I can do it, then I guess should keep trying. Thanks Cynthia." He looked at her hands which were still on his shoulders. "Y-you can let go of me now..."

Cynthia didn't get the message right away, but when she saw Peter's embarrassed expression and his quick glances at her hands, she pulled them away. Her face heated up for all but a moment before she dared to speak again. "W-well, I guess you should be getting on your way Peter."

"But there's something that I want to talk to you about Team Galactic. I want to get rid of those foul low-lifes from Eterna City. But..."

"Hmm?" Cynthia cocked her head to the side slightly.

"I can't get to their building. I can see the entrance but there are trees blocking the way and I can't through..."

The blonde thought for a moment, putting her forefinger to her chin in a cute thinking pose, before pulling an item out from her black coat pocket. "Here, you should take this. It is HM01 - Cut. It should be able to get rid of the trees blocking your path."

Peter received the HM graciously. "Thank you Ms. Shirona."

"Please Peter, call me Cynthia." And that's all she said before walking away from the awestruck Trainer.

**/End Flashback\**

Not long after that, she heard that Team Galactic had vacated Eterna City and moved their operations elsewhere. And since that meeting with Peter, Cynthia kept on meeting with the midnight haired Trainer. She gave him a Togepi Egg in Veilstone City, they met up in Canalave City not long before the Lake Valor incident and they fought side by side against the Galactic operatives there.

And she was there with him when Cyrus used Giratina to create the opening to the Distortion World. She was there when Peter defeated Cyrus and used all the skill he had acquired over his journey to qwell the rage of Giratina. He even managed to catch the Renegade Pokémon; his reason being to ensure that the Legendary's power would never fall into the wrong hands.

Peter showed courage, fervour and determination in all the times Cynthia met with him. But he also showed compassion too and it showed in how he raised his Pokémon - the bonds between them progressively strengthening as Cynthia kept meeting him. That's why he was in the Finals of the Lily of the Valley Conference.

But Cynthia still couldn't think why her thoughts kept going back to the midnight haired Trainer. 'Maybe it's because of his devotion towards his Pokémon. Maybe it's because he might give me a worthy challenge if he wins this match. Or is it another reason? Well, he does look kinda cute...'

Cynthia paused her musings for a second to process what she thought she had just said in her head. 'Did I just say he was cute? Where did that come from?' She blushed lightly, most of the crimson shading hidden behind the hair falling in front the left side of her face.

She was snapped out of her thoughts by the announcer's voice ringing across the Main Stadium. "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to this, the epic conclusion, the Grand Final of the Lily of the Valley Conference. This is the match-up you have all been waiting for. The two most powerful Trainers in the tournament squaring off in a fight for supremacy. Who will win? On the Green side of the field, a Trainer hailing from Veilstone City with a powerful team of Pokémon. Not one of them has been defeated and he has finished all of his matches with a clean sweep. Will this match be any different? Please give it up for Ryouji Takahashi!"

Cheers erupted throughout the stadium as a young man no more than sixteen stepped out onto the battlefield. He was wearing a red, long sleeved shirt with the sleeves rolled halfway up his forearms. He had a pair of dark jeans that were frayed at the legs and he had a pair of shades adorning his face, covering his confident green eyes. He had mousey brown hair that was spiked up, except for a few strands that hung over his shades.

"And now for Ryouji's opponent. On the Red side of the field, a Trainer that hails all the way from Sandgem Town with a team of mixed abilities. Rumours say that he has caught every single Pokémon of the Sinnoh region, making his team choices very unpredictable. Ladies and gentlemen, give a big hand to the Averter of the Galactic Crisis, Peter Aureilius!"

More cheers erupted throughout the stadium as Peter made his way to the battlefield. On the outside he was calm and collected. On the inside, he was a nervous wreck. He looked around the stadium to try and find comfort. But he didn't find any until he looked up at the Executive Box to his left. There he spied the Elite Four all watching to see the outcome of the match and there, sitting beside Bertha and Flint, was Cynthia happily eating an ice-cream. She noticed the midnight haired Trainer looking up and she could have sworn that he was looking directly at her. Not wanting to be rude if he was, she raised her hand and waved slightly to Peter who waved back when he saw her do so.

The referee took his position. "Okay, the match between the Green Trainer Ryouji and the Red Trainer Peter will be a full six-on-six battle. Both sides can freely substitute their Pokémon and the match will continue until one side's Pokémon are completely unable to battle. Are both Trainers ready?" The referee raised his flags. Both Ryouji and Peter nodded in acknowledgement. "In that case, the match will begin!" He dropped his arms. The battle had commenced.

**And with that ends Chapter Two. Read and review; don't just be a Phantom Visitor. Authors crave attention and need pointers as well you know. We practically live off the stuff...**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Notes:**** Well well well. Another chapter, eh? And a battle no less? It's not the first battle scene I've drafted, but somehow I feel that this battle portion isn't really that great in comparison. However, I don't really know unless the audience (you) points me in a good direction. **

**But enough expository banter! Now we write like men! And ladies! And ladies that dress like men! For this Fiction... it is battling time!**

3 - Let Battle Commence

Ryouji pulled a Pokéball from his belt and threw it into the battlefield - the Grass Field - without saying a word. The capsule burst in a flourish of white light and from the energy coalesced a large purple scorpion. The Ogre Scorp Pokémon clacked all its pincers menacingly as its cries echoed across the battlefield.

"DRAAA!"

Peter then pulled a Pokéball from his belt and threw it in the same manner, not wanting to say a word for now. As the announcer said, he wanted to keep the Pokémon he was using a mystery. No-one was really expecting him to use his full first team in the match. The capsule burst and from the energy formed a navy blue hammerhead landshark. Kibble the Garchomp.

"GRAAAR!"

"So, Ryouji has opted for his Drapion while Peter has chosen a powerful Garchomp. Ryouji is at a slight disadvantage here. How will he cope with that fearsome beast staring his Drapion down?"

Ryouji merely smirked as he called out across the battlefield. "I'll let you have the first move Aureilius!"

"Gladly! Kibble, let's get up close and personal. Use Dragon Claw!"

The Mach Pokémon sped away, closing the gap between him and his opponent with every step as his claws began to shine in a mystic blue colour. But as soon as Kibble was close enough, Ryouji made his move. "Drapion, grab that sorry excuse for a Dragon!"

Drapion's claws clashed menacingly once again as they shot forwards, grabbing Kibble and restraining the Dragon-Type. The Mach Pokémon tried to resist the crushing grip of the Ogre Scorp Pokémon, but it was no use. The hold on Kibble was just too strong.

"Now Drapion, use Toxic and follow it up with an Ice Fang!"

The Ogre Scorp Pokémons' mandibles scythed outwards and a glob of putridity was spat into Kibble's face. The next thing that the Garchomp could feel was a numbing sensation coursing throughout his body as the terrible poison took effect, sapping at the pseudo-legendary's power with every passing moment.

Kibble tried desperately to break free of Drapion's hold but with the effect of poison, the Garchomp could do nothing but writhe around in a futile effort to break free. But now, the second command of Ryouji's was taking place. Drapion's maw shuddered as the Ogre Scorp's fangs infused with a cooling aura, freezing the air around them and making Kibble's neck tense up. There was a sudden realisation that this one hit could change everything in the match; Kibble was silently cursing the fact that his species had a glaring weakness to the cold. The Mach Pokémon stopped writhing in Drapion's grip and submit himself to his fate, yellow eyes closing in knowledge of his imminent defeat...

"Kibble, use Flamethrower and get out of there quickly!"

Upon hearing his Trainer's command, Kibble's eyes snapped open suddenly and he twisted his head to meet with the waiting jaws of his opponent. A column of fire erupted from the Mach Pokémon's maw and struck Drapion with a ferocity that mirrored Kibble's desperation for freedom.

"DRAAAA!" Drapion roared in pain at the intense heat and blistering pain surging into its' mouth. Drapion had to let go of his assailant and the captive Garchomp seized this opportunity to rush back to his Trainer.

"Are you alright Kibble?" Asked Peter, his words tinged with concern for his Dragon-Type.

"Graa... GRAR!" Kibble cried as another shot of poison coursed through his body, forcing the hammerhead onto one knee.

"Quickly Drapion, Cross Poison while that Garchomp is distracted!" Called Ryouji to his Ogre Scorp Pokémon who was still reeling from the Flamethrower assault. Drapion shook his head and rushed forwards hoping to deliver a critical strike on the vulnerable opponent. The purple bug raised his claws and crossed them, the pincers gleaming and dripping in a harsh violet glow in the sunlight.

"Intercept it Kibble with Dragon Claw!" The panting Dragon complied with his Trainer's wishes, letting claws clash with pincers and neither opponent willing to give the other an inch.

"Push Drapion back!"

"Don't let him Drapion!"

The battle of wills continued in what seemed like a stalemate. That is until Kibble slowly started to rise from his knees catching Drapion, Ryouji and even Peter by surprise. The Mach Pokémon slowly began to push forwards against the Ogre Scorp Pokémon using as much strength as he could muster and more. And with one last mighty effort and roar, Kibble forced his opponent back leaving a stunned Ryouji to contemplate just how much power could exist in one form to push even his Drapion away.

"Great job Kibble! Now, Earthquake!"

"GRAAAR!" Garchomp gave a mighty leap in smashed into the ground with conviction, the seismic waves rumbling towards the dazed Drapion. All that the Ogre Scorp Pokémon could remember after blacking out was the sight of a navy blue streak smashing into the battlefield and an intense shuddering sensation coursing throughout the purple scorpion's body.

"Drapion is unable to battle, the winner is Garchomp!"

"HOW ABOUT THAT FOLKS? What a fantastic first matchup, this is the first time in the whole tournament that Ryouji has had to endure a knockout. How will the Veilstone Vindicator react to this development?"

Ryouji's facial expression turned sour for all but a moment before returning to the cocky smirk he wore at the beginning of the match. "Heh, not bad Aureilius. I see why you made it here to the finals. But I can also see that your pathetic Dragon isn't feeling too hot right now. You might be strong but you aren't strong enough to face my next Pokémon!" He pulled Drapion's Pokéball from his belt and returned the downed scorpion, switching for another capsule. "It's time, my dragon!"

Ryouji threw the red and white orb into the centre of the field revealing a long blue Pokémon with a large gaping mouth, tan underbelly, white fins and a pair of long blue whiskers. The Pokémon stretched upwards until eventually reaching the pinnacle of its height and roared, making the ground quiver ever so slightly.

Peter sighed and returned Kibble to his Pokéball, muttering under his breath. "I hate it when people confuse Gyarados for a Dragon. True Dragons aren't heavily affected by Electric-Types..." He pulled another red and white orb from his belt and threw it in the same manner into the centre of the field.

**~|"|"|"|"|"|"|~**

Up in the Executive Box, the Elite Four were looking on intently at the outcome of the match. The Finals were always great to watch just for the thrill factor; the cream of the crop pitting their wits against each other in one last heated push for victory. This match was no exception.

"Oh man! Did you see that? That looked like it must have hurt!" Exclaimed the Bug-Type specialist, Aaron.

"Well, duh! Fire is a destructive force. It's not surprising to see such a reaction from Drapion. I mean, come on! Nothing can stop fire!" Retorted the resident pyromaniac, Flint.

"Try telling that to my Pokémon..." Muttered the aged Ground-Type user, Bertha. Of course, no-one heard this snide remark so Aaron and Flint were now having a *ahem* heated argument over who had the better type.

"Fire-Types easily take out Bug-Types! Hello? There's no way that a lowly Bug type can compare to the raw power of flames!"

"Shut it, motor mouth! Bug-Types are easily the more powerful of the two by a long stretch! The sheer tenacity and majesty of Bugs are sufficient enough to make your embers pale in comparison!"

"What planet are you living on Bug brain? Have you not seen how Fire just destroys everything..."

This argument continued for a good minute before the usually placid Psychic, Lucian, slammed his book shut in anger. At once, every person in the Executive Box looked at the seething embodiment of hate, who was in turn glaring at the progenitors of the childish argument.

"Hehe... Sorry Lucian."

"Y-yeah... Sorry..."

Smiling in satisfaction that he had successfully shut the two idiots up, the Psychic master returned to reading his book... Only to find that he had now lost his page. Sighing in defeat, he stowed the tome underneath his seat and turned his attention to the match.

"Drapion is unable to battle, the winner is Garchomp!"

"HOW ABOUT THAT FOLKS? What a fantastic first matchup, this is the first time in the whole tournament that Ryouji has had to endure a knockout. How will the Veilstone Vindicator react to this development?"

"Well well..." Started Bertha, "It seems as though that little upstart you like has taken the lead, eh Cynthia?"

The Sinnoh Champion ceased her endeavours in ice-cream mid-lick and stared wide eyed at Bertha. "Wha... What? What do you mean by that?"

The oldest member of the Elite Four looked at Cynthia suspiciously. "Your little protegé just beat that Drapion with his Garchomp. Or were you not watching the match?"

"Hm? Oh! N-no, I was watching!"

Flint turned to Aaron and muttered. "I bet she was watching more than just the match if you know what I mean..." The pair sniggered, not realising that Flint had muttered loud enough for Cynthia to still hear. After all, she was sitting right next to him.

"What was that Flint?" Cynthia said calmly. Too calmly for Flint's liking.

"Uh..." He gulped. "N-nothing Cynthia!"

"That's right Flint. Nothing." She replied, returning to her ice-cream endeavours and watching the match. For anyone, especially Flint for that matter, to insinuate that she had some sort of emotional attatchment to her unofficial protegé was a very embarrassing topic. Mostly because she hated being teased, but partly because there was a nagging voice in the back of her head that kept saying that those people were probably correct in their assumptions.

Cynthia would almost never listen to that voice.

Almost.

"Arceus, she's scary when she's calm." Said the resident pyromaniac with a slight shudder in his voice.

"Yeah..." Agreed Aaron. "Oh well, better you than me..."

"Yea... HEY!"

**Anyone that got the reference in the beginning Author's Notes gets +1 Interwebs. Anyone that didn't... I don't really blame you. But that only means you're not an Otaku like me. Good thing or bad thing? Your decision really. Something else that should be in your conscious decision is to Review. Don't just be a Phantom Visitor.**

**~AmateurPsychologist~**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Notes**** - OMG AN UPDATE! Yup, I finally got enough free time from my studies to finish up Chapter 4. Stupid GCSE revision having significant impact on my later life *Grumble grumble***

**Yeah anyway, this chapter is a lot longer than the previous ones by a significant amount. And don't worry, the battles will probably be over in the next couple of chapters or so. It really depends on if I get enough free time to actually get a decent pace going.**

**So without any more stalling for time, read onwards...**

4 - Expecting the Unexpected

"I hate it when people confuse Gyarados for a Dragon. True Dragons aren't heavily affected by Electric-Types..." Peter pulled another red and white orb from his belt and threw it in the same manner into the centre of the field.

From the container burst a small, green, bipedal Pokémon, not much higher than 2 feet tall. The Pokémon wore what looked like a vigilante mask on her face and a leafy cape that stretched from her back to the floor. Where her hands should have been were bouquets of roses; but who needs hands when the bouquets concealed thorny vines. What looked like her hair was in actual fact a white rose that was symbiotic to her. This was the Bouquet Pokémon, Tiger Lily.

"Roserade!" she said as she gracefully landed before her Trainer.

Across the battlefield, Ryouji's facial expression turned even cockier when the Pokéball revealed his Gyarados' opponent. "Come on Aureilius! I mean, really? That runt against my hulking powerhouse? You're making this a bit too easy for me this time around."

"Maybe so," started Peter, "but Tiger Lily has never let me down before and I doubt that she will fail me now. Besides Takahashi, have you never heard the saying 'the bigger they are the harder they fall?'"

"Hah! The day that my Gyarados falls to that runt is the day when Grumpig become Flying-Types! Gyarados, use Ice Fang on that puny flower!"

The Atrocious Pokémon's fangs became imbibed with a chilling power as the maw of the 21 foot titan shuddered.

"Tiger Lily, you know what to do. Sleep Powder then Aromatherapy!"

The Atrocious Pokémon shot downwards when the power of the Ice Fang thresholded. Gyarados snapped his jaws shut only to find that his target had gone from where she once was. At that moment, the Bouquet Pokémon scattered a cerulean coloured dust into the confused Gyarados' face, who immediately found himself in a torpid state of tranquility. In other words, Gyarados hit the deck and was slumbering peacefully.

Then Tiger Lily released a soothing scent from her roses which drifted and carried across the latent wind in the arena. Everyone in the crowd felt the calming effects of the floral aroma and paused their cheering in order to appreciate the natural scent. In tandem with the soothing smell, Peter's Pokéballs began to glow in response and as soon as the move finished, the orbs stopped glowing.

"W...would you look at that folks," said the MC in a decidedly more passive voice, "Peter has sim... simul-tain-ee-ows-lee put the big fish to sleep and let his team recover from bad effects. This match looks com... completely one-sided here, but ya never know what to expect at this stage..."

Both Ryouji and Peter sweatdropped. Aromatherapy was calming, sure, but they'd never encountered a reaction quite like the MC's.

"Anyway... Tiger Lily, use Sludge Bomb Barrage!"

Multiple streams of biohazardous gunk shot from the bouquets of Tiger Lily and the resulting rain of sludge was heading straight towards the slumbering target. Peter was very confident that his Grass-Type's power would easily secure victory over this Gyarados. It had done so before, so why wouldn't it work now?

"Gyarados, use Sleep Talk." Ryouji declared in a calm and even tone.

The still pacified sea monster rose quickly and conjured a veil of water which soon turned into a cascade of fluid destruction. This swiftly enveloped the streams of toxic waste and reduced them to nothing. The massive wave continued on a set course; straight towards Tiger Lily.

Both Peter's and his Pokémon's eyes widened in shock. Just what were the odds of Gyarados knowing the counter to Sleep status? A knowing smile graced Ryouji's face when he saw his opponent's reactions. His Gyarados was one of his most surprising Pokémon, being able to unnerve most people with his devastating power and his unpredictability. The incredible water wave smashed straight into the Bouquet Pokémon, sweeping her off her feet and carrying her backwards at a high velocity towards the arena wall.

"GAH! Tiger Lily, return!" Peter shouted as he lifted Roserade's Pokéball and recalled her just before the impact.

**~|"|"|"|"|"|"|~**

In the Executive Box, Lucian was the first to comment on the outcome of the match at this point. "Hmm, Aureilius spared his Roserade from massive damage. Smart choice but also potentially careless..."

Flint looked at Lucian oddly. "What're you talking about?"

Lucian simply glanced at his hot-headed comrade and sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and rolling his eyes. "Don't you get it? If Aureilius does not have a suitable counter to Takahashi's Gyarados, then he will have revealed too much of his A-game to him. And even if he does, then Takahashi would be at an advantage because he will have worn down Aureilius' Pokémon considerably whereas Takahashi would still have the multitude of his Pokémon kept fresh for later. Since Aureilius has recalled Roserade, she cannot be used again unless one of his other Pokémon secures a defeat or gets defeated. And who knows what might happen if Takahashi's Gyarados gains any window of opportunity?"

"Oh right..." said Flint, only just grasping Lucian's concept.

"Idiot..." muttered Lucian. Luckily, the resident pyromaniac didn't hear the psychic's comment.

"Hey Cynthia," began Aaron, "have you noticed some similarities between your Pokémon team and Aureilius' one?"

The Sinnoh Champion looked at the lime haired lepidopturist with a hint of confusion. "What? How so?"

"Well... you both have Roserades..."

"And what does that have to do with anything? Roserade are quite commonly found with some Trainers. It's like comparing you to a regular Bug Catcher simply because you happen to have a Beautifly for example."

"Yeah, but how about we look at this deeper. You both have Garchomp."

"Which are common amongst those that are patient enough to look for them."

"You both have Milotic."

"Again, they're common among the patient..."

"You have a Spiritomb, Lucario and Togekiss. I know for a fact that Aureilius also has these Pokémon in his care. You cannot tell me that these are common Pokémon because quite frankly, they aren't. You can't expect to tell me that you haven't noticed this, have you?"

Cynthia thought for a moment. She really didn't actually notice this before so she wasn't sure how to respond to this revelation. So she went with a tried and tested approach to these kinds of situations: answer the question with another question, thereby dodging the original question.

"Why did you bring this topic up all of a sudden Aaron?"

"No particular reason Cynthia. I just found it odd that he happened to have the same Pokémon as you is all."

"Is that all?" The Sinnoh Champion began, "Because if you haven't noticed Aaron, Peter has completed his Sinnoh Pokédex. He was bound to have many of the same Pokémon that I possess, coincidence or not."

Cynthia's reasoning was very sound. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I must've forgot that he did complete it."

"Of course I'm right Aaron." Cynthia said with a smile. She then turned back to the match. 'Although, Peter does seem to use many of the Pokémon that I use quite frequently... I wonder...'

**~|"|"|"|"|"|"|~**

"Well Aureilius?" called Ryouji, "I'm waiting!"

"Waiting for what? Your defeat? Because I'm more than willing to oblige! Let's go Mina!"

Peter lobbed the red and white sphere into the centre of the battlefield and from it appeared a sea serpent not unlike the one currently out. Apart from being a Water-Type and being serpentine in appearance however, that's where the similarities ended for the two Pokémon.

Peter's Pokémon was overall more elegant and graceful than Ryouji's Gyarados. Two long red fins streamed away from her rounded head either side of a rounded horn sitting in the centre. Her red eyes gleamed softly, portraying the peaceful nature that this Water-Type was famed for. Mina's skin glowed faintly, from the soft cream of her upper body to the rich blue and red of her scaly tail.

"Meee-looooo," the Milotic cried.

"Milotic huh? Seems like we both worked up from something weak to something powerful. Gyarados, Sleep Talk once again!"

An orange and white sphere of energy formed at the centre of the Atrocious Pokémon's maw. The beginning of a Hyper Beam.

"Mina, counter with Hydro Pump!" Peter fired.

The Tender Pokémon obliged to her Trainer's wish, forming a foaming, pulsing water orb in the centre of her mouth.

"Let's go!" Both Trainers commanded. At once, two columns rocketed towards one another. From Gyarados' sleeping form came a deadly beam of orange and white energy and from Mina came a destructive jet of high pressure water. Both moves met in the middle with neither one giving in for supremacy and each one just as powerful as the other. As an effect of the resultant stalemate, the collision zone collapsed and from it erupted a torrent of steam.

"A tie?" Peter questioned.

"Don't too sure of that Aureilius," smirked Ryouji.

An orange and white beam of energy pulsed out from the cloud of steam hitting Mina square in the face. She was a bit bruised after the attack but she still managed to shake off the pain. After the collision, Gyarados woke up panting heavily and somewhat confused as to why he felt so fatigued and why his opponent had changed.

"Are you okay Mina?" asked Peter. She nodded in response. "That's good. While Gyarados can't move, use your Ice Beam."

A small orb of ice transformed into a beam of chilly power which quickly slammed into Gyarados' chest. The Atrocious Pokémon roared in pain at the neutrally effective move and winced as he started to recover from the power shown by the opposing Water-Type.

"Gyarados, are you gonna take that? Use Maximum Aqua Tail and show them what you're really made of!"

"Ryouji seems to be getting really into this. Mina, retaliate with a full power Hydro Pump, we need to finish this now!"

Gyarados slithered towards Milotic with his tail imbued with a maelstrom, a sheer vortex of water cascading upwards from the base. Ryouji meant business when he gave the order to his Pokémon and it showed in this spectacle.

Meanwhile, pressure was starting to build from within Mina's mouth. The backlog of water was slowly rising from within her very core and she was starting to strain from the gathering of power. But she knew of her Trainer's burning desire to win. Both she and her opponent were willing to see their respective Trainers through the battle.

Gyarados whipped his vicious tail around to connect with Mina's head just as she released the pressure that was building from her Hydro Pump. The resultant storm from the collision made both Trainers struggle to stand against the gale, Ryouji's shirt and Peter's scarf billowing violently in the windstorm.

When the winds died down, both Trainers were stunned to find that there wasn't just one serpent that had been knocked out.

"Both Pokémon are unable to battle. This match is a tie!"

**~|"|"|"|"|"|"|~**

"I suppose I should thank you Aureilius," called Ryouji as his serpent was pulled back into the Pokéball, "None of the Trainers I've faced have given me such a challenge until now. I guess that's to be expected if you made it here to the finals. But in spite of that, I'm still gonna win!"

"I'm honoured that you would think so highly of me Ryouji," responded Peter as he too pulled his serpent back into the Pokéball, "But you should at least give credit to the Trainers you have faced before me. They proved that they deserved to be in the Sinnoh League whether or not if it was for a short time. Just like you've proved that you deserve to be here. However, I will still do all that I can to ensure that me and my Pokémon win here today!"

"Enough talk! Weavile, out here on the double!"

"Kibble, back out here!"

Kibble reappeared with a familiar roar. The capsule housing Kibble's opponent split open and from it formed the Sharp Claw Pokémon. Upon seeing Kibble's display of power, Weavile just looked at him lazily and let off an uninterested yawn. Kibble however was unimpressed with his opponents attitude.

"GRAAAAAR!"

"..Wea..." Weavile yawned.

"Kibble, Flamethrower now!"

The Mach Pokémon was pleased with his Trainer's choice of move. Kibble would show that cocky Weavile that that lazy attitude was unjust when going up against a majestic and powerful Dragon such as himself. Agitating a gland in the back of his throat, Kibble summoned a searing heat to his mouth where he shot it towards to unfazed Weavile.

"Weavile, it's a Garchomp. You know what to do..." Weavile seemed to understand Ryouji's ambiguous command. At the point where Kibble's Flamethrower would have seared the Sharp Claw Pokémon, Weavile simply disappeared.

"What the..? Kibble, keep vigilant. That Weavile could be anywhere."

Obeying his Trainers wish, Kibble started to scan the battlefield for any sign of the Sharp Claw Pokémon. But Kibble's opponent was seemingly nowhere...

Suddenly, the Mach Pokémon felt a sharp pain rush across his left side. Spinning around, he was met with another sharp pain across his right. Kibble was getting incredibly annoyed with the Weavile that he knew was causing him pain.

"Kibble, that Weavile is rushing you! Jump up and use Earthquake to knock it off balance!"

"Weavile, Earthquake Avoidance Strategy," Ryouji stated.

Kibble soared into the air and smashed into the grassy terrain causing the seismic waves to rumble around the arena. The Dragon-Type looked around for a black and red Pokémon to be struggling to stand up, but he didn't see any such spectacle.

Peter's eyes widened in shock. "Kibble! Weavile is on your back!"

The midnight-haired Trainer's Pokémon looked back and his irises narrowed. There indeed was Weavile who was leaning casually against the Dragon-Type's dorsal fin.

"Wea weavile..." muttered the Dark/Ice-Type. Roughly translated, Weavile said: 'Game over...' The Sharp Claw Pokémon raised a fist imbued with the raw power of ice who then swiftly dealt a strong punch to the Mach Pokémon's back. Kibble felt an incredibly cold sensation run throughout his entire being before slumping to the grass beneath his feet.

"Garchomp is unable to battle. Weavile wins!" announced the referee.

As Weavile stepped off Kibble for him to be returned to his Pokéball, Ryouji called out across the battlefield to Peter. "Hey Aureilius! You surprised by the outcome? Because I'm not. I trained Weavile to the absolute limits in speed. I was hoping to save Weavile for last actually, but I want to finish this quickly..."

Peter growled in annoyance. That Weavile would cause him serious problems if he didn't deal with it soon. He pulled out a Pokéball from his belt and enlarged it in his hand. "Well, I was hoping to rely on you at a better point in the match. But that Weavile is leaving me no choice..."

**The conversation between Cynthia and Aaron in the middle is somewhat reminiscent of a conversation I was having with my friend when he proof-read my first chapter. He was the one that drew the parallel between Cynthia's and Peter's teams and that was what prompted me to put that bit in. Honestly, I had no clue about the team choice I made until he pointed that out.**

**Anyways guys, Chapter 5 might not be up until the end of June since that's when my final GCSE Exam is, and even then I might have to have a few days to rest my burnt out brain and left hand due to all the writing I will inevitably have to do. Stupid 2 hour Electronics exam; why did I pick you as an option *grumble grumble***

**But enough about my whining. As always, leave a review. Please? I have cookies. Don't be a Phantom Visitor.**

**~AmateurPsychologist~**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Notes:**** You know how I said that last time I would have the next chapter up by the end of June?**

**Yeah... I lied. Sort of...**

**You see, in the free time I got from my revision, I managed to add small snippets here and there over the time I hadn't updated. All those small snippets added up to what you see here right now, a longer chapter than the last! *Gasp***

**I even managed to compose a chapter after this one that's EVEN LONGER! *Double Gasp***

**AND it's finished (somewhat...) *More Gasps than a gasp can shake a gasp at***

**Rest assured that this and the next form the conclusion to the Lily of the Valley Tournament. All chapters after that will be getting to the main meat and potatoes of the storyline.**

**By the way, Chapter 6 won't be posted until after my final exam because I'm evil like that! MUAHAHAHAHAHA etc...**

**Now, without any further stalling for time, read onwards...**

5 - Power in All Forms

Ryouji and his Weavile stared across the battlefield at the midnight-haired Trainer. "Come on Aureilius! What's the hold up? Don't tell me you wanna quit, do ya?"

The Sharp Claw Pokémon in front of him held out his hand and taunted the Trainer mockingly. "Wea weavile Weavile!"

Peter looked up from the Pokéball in his hand to the taunting duo and growled. "Be quiet! If you want this to end quickly then end it! I'm comfortable with my own pace thanks! Legend, you're up!"

The red and white sphere was thrown sky high and burst in a cascade of light. The mass of energy slowly formed itself into an avian type shape and eventually finished transitioning from being stuck in the capsule.

The Jubilee Pokémon gave a shrill cry and glittered for a short while in the sunlight before swooping back down to meet his Trainer. Legend wasn't like others of his species; his white feathers were more cream coloured and the patterns on his underbelly and the tips of his crown were more vibrant shades of blue and red.

"Wha..? A shiny Pokémon?" Ryouji looked on in awe. He shook his head rapidly to compose himself once again. "Hah! Aureilius, you never fail to surprise do ya? But that bird's no match for Weavile! Use Night Slash!"

"Legend, hang back and wait."

'What's he up to? If he really wants a quick defeat then so be it.' "Weavile, charge up a Crush Claw while you're at it and rush that bird!"

The Sharp Claw Pokémon prepared both the moves, his left hand glowing ghostly purple while his right hand glowed a violent red. All the while, the Jubilee Pokémon seemed completely confident; evidence of this was the smile plastered on his face. Weavile shot forwards like a bullet, arms trailing behind him to get his form as streamlined as possible to ensure maximum efficiency for minimum air resistance.

"Smash it down Wea..."

"Thunder Wave please Legend." At the behest of his Trainer, the shiny Togekiss blasted a wave of electricity towards the oncoming Weavile, catching both the Dark/Ice-Type and his Trainer off guard. The pulse of electricity hit its target and made Weavile fly backwards, rolling for two feet on the grass before coming to a halt.

"Come on Weavile! Get up!" Slowly but surely, the Sharp Claw Pokémon forced his way onto his feet, the residue electricity arcing and crackling off his body. "That's the way! Use Ice Punch Weavile!"

Once again imbuing his fist with ice, Weavile charged forwards; albeit at a slower pace. However, the Sharp Claw Pokémon still retained much of the speed that his species was prized for.

"Legend, use Air Slash." Peter smirked.

"Dodge that Weavile!"

The Jubilee Pokémon twirled his left wing, forming a rotating orb of concentrated air at the tip. He launched it swiftly towards his target who tried to obey his Trainer's command of dodging only to find that his muscles seized up at the most inopportune time. The air ball scored a direct hit on Weavile, sending him back to his Trainer's feet.

"Weavile are you okay?" Ryouji enquired. The Sharp Claw Pokémon looked his Trainer in the eye, fear evident on the Pokémon's face. Weavile then looked back to his Flying-Type opponent, cowering in fear when Legend locked his gaze with the Dark/Ice-Type.

Ryouji picked up on his Pokémon's behaviour patterns immediately. "What did you do to Weavile Aureilius?" He growled.

"What? Oh, nothing much..." Peter responded. "Weavile is just flinching with fear. It's an after effect of Air Slash to cause opponents to flinch if it hits. That in tandem with Legend's ability of Serene Grace to double the chance of that happening makes for quite a combo. Like you said Ryouji, I never fail to surprise, right? Legend, use Aura Sphere while Weavile is vulnerable."

Togekiss responded in kind to his Trainer's order, forming a sphere of pure life energy at the tip of his right wing and batting it away towards his helpless opponent. Ryouji could only stand and watch while the quadruple effective orb smashed into the fearful Dark/Ice-Type and sent him bulleting into the arena wall. Weavile gave a weak cry before slumping out of the foot deep crater.

"Weavile is unable to battle. The winner of this round is Togekiss!"

"I DO NOT BELIEVE IT FOLKS!" Roared the MC, seemingly having recovered from the effects of Aromatherapy, "Ryouji's Weavile has been taken down in just two hits leaving the Veilstone Vindicator at a 4 - 3 disadvantage as we go to a ten minute break. Can Takahashi turn the tide, or will Aureilius storm through to victory?"

With that, both Trainers recalled their Pokémon and made their way to their respective Green Rooms, making sure to utilise their break times wisely.

**~|"|"|"|"|"|"|~**

"So Cynthia," began the resident Psychic Lucian, "Aureilius seems to be winning out so far. That Togekiss of his seems to be quite the force, do you not think?"

"What..?" Cynthia wasn't listening to her colleague. She was looking out over the battlefield to where the midnight-haired Trainer was, now disappearing down into the tunnel to his Green Room.

Lucian picked up on his superior's behavior immediately but said nothing of it. Unlike a certain afro-haired pyromaniac, Lucian knew about boundaries and where not to cross the line when it came to many sensitive topics. As such, being a Psychic, Lucian knew exactly what anyone thought at any given moment (but he would not use this ability of his to read his opponents' minds in the interest of fairness) and as such, he could tell exactly what Cynthia was thinking as she was looking out over the battlefield.

Not that he would ever let her know that he knew what she WAS thinking of course.

Lucian gave a cough to get his superiors' attention. She snapped her head up at the sound and turned towards the Psychic. "Cynthia, is there something on your mind?"

The blonde from Celestic Town blushed lightly. Not only because of what she WAS thinking about, but also because she had a sneaking suspicion that Lucian may or may not know what she was indeed thinking about the Trainer known as Aureilius. "Uh... N-no. I was... I just..."

Lucian was about to interrupt her and tell her that she need not speak her mind, but a certain pyromaniac had to pipe up at that exact moment. "Come on Lucian! Shouldn't it be glaringly obvious to anyone, especially to someone such as yourself? Cynthia has obviously got a certain someone on her mind and that someone is obviously..."

"Finish that sentence Flint. I DARE you!" Cynthia snapped coldly.

Flint gulped quite loudly and shrank backwards, crushing up against Aaron who was very surprised at the scene unfolding before him. "S-sorry Cynthia... I'm sorry! Please don't hurt me!"

The Sinnoh Champion stood up, all the while glaring daggers and bloody murder at Flint. He was shaking and cowering because of the blonde that was currently towering above him. Flint had surprised himself (and quite possibly Aaron) that he hadn't soiled himself from the glare that Cynthia was giving him.

Finally, Cynthia walked out of the Executive Box without saying a word. It was a few moments before anyone dared speak up again.

"S-someone hold me. P-please?" Flint desperately tried to hold Aaron close; the lepidopturist responded in kind by throwing Flint off of him and back into his own seat.

"I wonder where Cynthia's going," said Bertha, "She may miss the start of the second half if she doesn't come back soon."

"I wouldn't worry about that Bertha," replied Lucian, "She's just going somewhere to cool off. And she may be in for a surprise when she gets there too..."

**~|"|"|"|"|"|"|~**

The Sinnoh Champion walked briskly down the corridor to her destination. The people that were here during the break in the battle were quite surprised that the Champion was right before them. And they were also quite surprised to see that she was fuming. What about, they weren't sure. But they made sure as hell that they didn't get in her way.

After a minute or thereabouts, Cynthia reached where she wanted to get. The ice-cream stand. She always had an ice-cream whether she was in a state of a heightened negative emotion or when she was hungry. In this case, she was angry so she needed it to calm down. Ah, the power of endorphins...

She was about to get to the front of the non-existent queue when someone else tried doing the same. Cynthia was still fuming and she wanted to give this person a piece of her mind (or maybe her fist) when the perpetrator spoke in a voice that she recognised.

"Oops, sorry. I guess I wasn't looking where I was going and... Cynthia?"

"Peter? What're you doing here? Shouldn't you be making some preparations for the second half?"

The midnight-haired Trainer rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Well, yeah I should but... I'm really nervous about this. I just wanted some fresh air and I wound up here and found I wanted some ice-cream. Anyways, what about you? Why are you here?"

"I just needed some time by myself is all. Flint was being a pain and making fun of me... Stupid Flint, can't keep his business to himself..."

Aureilius noticed Cynthia's muttering. "Cynthia, if you don't mind me asking, what exactly did Flint do to get you to be so mad?"

The Sinnoh Champion's silver eyes widened when Peter asked her that question. She didn't want him to know that it was in fact an insinuated subject involving herself and the Trainer in front of her that caused Flint to push buttons that shouldn't have been pressed. "U-uh... I-it was nothing! I-it was really silly now that I think upon it. J-just Flint being his usual childish self is all!"

Peter looked at the blonde quizzically for a moment. But he knew that this was probably a subject that shouldn't be pursued any further. He knew where to draw the line and didn't want Cynthia to say anything that she didn't want to. So in the end he just let it drop. "Okay then, if that's all that it was..."

"Yep! That's all it was!" Cynthia replied quickly.

Meanwhile, the ice-cream vendor was getting annoyed that these two people were just standing around talking and not ordering like they were going to in the first place. It didn't matter that they were the Sinnoh Champion and a candidate for winning the Lily of the Valley Tournament, they weren't being co-operative in making a sale. So he decided to speed things up a bit. "Are you two lovebirds just gonna talk, or do you actually want some ice-cream?"

As soon as the vendor mentioned the word 'lovebirds', both Peter and Cynthia blushed. Hard. "Uh... Y-yeah. We should..." Peter gestured towards the stand.

"Y-yeah..." responded Cynthia.

The pair of them looked over the multitude of delicious flavours that the vendor had to offer when they settled on a choice a few moments later.

"I'll take a mint and double chocolate ice-cream please."

Both Cynthia and Peter's eyes widened. Not only had they said their order at the exact same time, but they had ordered the exact same thing too! The vendor gave a small smirk in semi-understanding, he obviously wasn't wrong when he called them both 'lovebirds'. Pulling out two cones and fulfilling their requests, he handed the blushing pair a cone each.

"Look, I'll tell you what," began the vendor, "This one's on me and that goes for both of you. Just don't tell anyone I did this and I won't tell anyone about you two, if ya get what I mean." The vendor finished speaking with a wink.

"What?"

"W-we're not..."

"Haha! Of course not!" The vendor winked again causing Peter and Cynthia to blush once again. "Enjoy your ice-cream!"

The two of them turned and walked away, ice-creams in hand. Both were now refusing to look each other in the eye, or at all for that matter. They were basking in the awkward silence that ensued as their 'conversation' with the vendor ended, both occasionally taking a lick of their frozen treats.

It wasn't until Cynthia had had enough of the silence did she break it. "Peter, are you at all nervous anymore about your battle?"

"Well, I am still a little nervous. But that just means I'm still human. To be without emotion is to be without humanity, don't you think?"

Cynthia nodded her agreement. Inadvertantly, Peter's words had brought back memories of the incident in the Distortion World and of Cyrus. The Galactic Commander had no emotion, none at all. Cynthia thought it fitting to draw the parallel between Peter's words and how Cyrus seemed to lack humanity, an effect of emotionlessness.

Then her thoughts flitted to Peter's battle with the raging Giratina. He took a harsh beating in that fight, his Pokémon crumbling to the raw power Giratina exuded. Cynthia was about to step in and help him fight off the Renegade Pokémon when Mesprit created an opening for Aureilius to let the majority of his Pokémon recover and eventually allowing the midnight-haired Trainer to catch Giratina when it was weakened sufficiently.

Kind of ironic that Mesprit was the Being of Emotion...

Cynthia was snapped out of her thoughts when Peter spoke again. "Ah crap! I have to get going or I'll be disqualified!" The midnight-haired Trainer turned around and started to run. "See ya Cynthia!"

The Sinnoh Champion waved her goodbye to Aureilius and continued onwards, making her way to the Executive Box. She had calmed down considerably since the incident with Flint. In fact, she seemed to have forgotten the whole event. Perhaps that's just how good the ice-cream was. Or perhaps it was another factor...

When she got back to the box, she had a smile on her face and seemed to not have a care in the world. She didn't even notice Flint cowering away from her and pleading with Aaron to switch seats with him. She didn't even notice that Lucian had a knowing smile on his face when he noticed how much more positive Cynthia seemed to be during her short cooldown period.

**~|"|"|"|"|"|"|~**

"Welcome back folks to the finals of the Lily of the Valley Tournament! Last time we left off, Takahashi was trailing 4 - 3 to Aureilius in this heated battle. Our two competitors will now be fighting on the Rocky Terrain field. Trainers, release your Pokémon!"

"Legend, let's go!"

Ryouji thought for a moment before smirking and making his choice. "Gallade, show them your power!"

Both Pokémon materialised onto the field, Legend calmly smiling and standing next to his Trainer while Gallade flipped with great agility onto a nearby rock pillar. The Blade Pokémon crossed his bladed arms and looked upon his opponents with disdain. It was a look that suggested that they simply weren't worth the time or the energy.

"I'll allow you to have the first move Aureilius!" Ryouji shouted confidently.

"With pleasure Takahashi! Legend, let's start this off and wrap things up with an Air Slash." Once again, the Jubilee Pokémon twirled his left wing, forming the familiar rotating orb of concentrated air at the tip.

"Gallade, just take it." The mouse-haired Trainer from Veilstone stated coolly.

"Just what is Ryouji planning folks? If that Air Slash hits then it could be all over!" Exclaimed the MC.

'Heh, you'll see,' thought Takahashi, 'and so will Aureilius and his bird...'

The swirling mini-vortex struck Gallade head on, knocking the Blade Pokémon off balance from his rock pillar and forcing him onto one knee on a small stone outcrop. Gallade looked at his smiling opponent and winced visibly, to the visible pleasure of not just Aureilius, but to Takahashi as well.

Peter noticed this and was bewildered. "What the hell? Ryouji, your Pokémon just took a serious hit and you're smiling?"

"Just watch."

As soon as the resident of Veilstone said this, Gallade stood back up and shouted confidently, a red aura glowing around his form before disappating. Gallade looked back at his opponent with renewed vigour, almost as if the Air Slash had done nothing at all.

The Jubilee Pokémon looked to his Trainer in shock; the Sandgem Town Trainer looked just as surprised as his Pokémon. Gallade took major damage, flinched to boot, and now it stood back up like it was nothing? What was going on?

"Surprised Aureilius? That's Gallade's Ability of Steadfast. Every time Gallade flinches, he becomes faster in order to better deal with the threat."

"WHAT? No! Legend, get in there with a Thunder Wave and follow it up with another Air Slash!"

"Gallade, defend with Psycho Cut and push them back with Vacuum Wave."

Togekiss fired a burst of electricity at the Blade Pokémon, hoping to catch it off guard with the speed of the move. But due to the effect of Steadfast, Gallade was even faster. The green blades on his elbows glowed a soft lilac; the Blade Pokémon then performed a cross swipe, launching lilac ringlets of pure psychic energy towards the oncoming pulse of low voltage current. The sharp discs of (now electrified) psy-power tore through the follow up orb of air and smashed into a very surprised Togekiss. The Jubilee Pokémon then felt a pulse wave of pressure that threatened to crush the Flying-Type into the rocky battlefield due to the sheer force of the vortex.

"No Legend!"

"Cease your Vacuum Wave Gallade and finish this with ThunderPunch!"

With the speed and the power of a bullet, the Blade Pokémon uppercutted the Flying-Type with an electrified fist sending a charred and beaten Togekiss back to his Trainer's feet. The Jubilee Pokémon didn't stir; it was thoroughly defeated.

"Togekiss is unable to battle. The winner is Gallade!"

Peter crouched down and lifted his Flying-Type into his arms, who finally stirred and crooned weakly. Even though Legend was a fully evolved Pokémon, he was no more than four months old; he was still immature and he needed some comfort. "Don't worry Legend, you did your best and I admire you for it. It's just that Gallade was better, that's all."

"Toge..."

Peter ruffled Legend's crown, some of the charred feathers disintegrating as he did so. "Don't feel so bad about it. If anything, I let you down. Cheer up, okay? We might still be able to win."

"Togekiss!"

Peter pulled his Flying-Type's Pokéball off his belt and pressed it against his head, the ball absorbing Togekiss inside in a flash of red light. He pulled out another Pokéball and threw it with conviction into the arena. 'This one's for you Legend.'

**~|"|"|"|"|"|"|~**

**There we go, that's Chapter 5. Leave a review, anything will do. Heh, that rhymed...**

**Anyway, tell me what you think. Praise, criticism, flames; it doesn't matter. Don't be a Phantom Visitor. Just like kittens and young children, authors need attention too...**

**~AmateurPsychologist~**


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